Blog Dedication

Monday, April 30, 2007

Comin' up Rosie: a blog begets the real deal

It didn't take coming out to get Rosie O'Donnell to come into her own. Or leaving the spotlight and coming back with a vengeance in recent years. It's her blog. To every (plastic celebrity) trend there is a counter-trend--and that anti-trend's name is Rosie.

You focus on us: In her video blogs she centers on reader's questions; so the audience sets the agenda.

You're brave: You've got opinions and you share them.

You're real (and real-time): Her segments are anything but rehearsed--she never dolls-up for her video blogs and rarely even wears makeup (many times she's getting her hair done for a show). The pic below is from one of her video blogs.

You take the rough with the smooth: She addresses the hate mail right alongside the love letters.

You give us a direct line: There's been a lot of talk in the news about her miffs and tiffs. Instead of hearing it from her publicist, or through third-party accounts, she point us to her blog so we can hear it from her.

You sing (even though you can't): She's never been a good singer but she has fun with the audience and delights us anyhow (that's why she's hosted The Tonys and performed on Broadway).

You let us in: She shares her artwork and her family through her blog and videos; it shows us what she values (that's a picture of Rosie and her daughter Viv up above).

You're NOT all talk: She's given the 9/11 first-responders a much-needed voice...and gave the Katrina kids homes when the government couldn't get creative enough to do so (Rosie figured out how to get kids out of the temporary trailers and into better homes in a couple months with zero architectural experience. FEMA couldn't figure it out with eons of it).

Blogging since September of last year her blog is as authentic as they come: authentic because it aligns with her persona and makes her that much more accessible. She's got a book coming out mid-September called "Celebrity Detox" and it shall be the only celebrity book I read this decade (maybe this lifetime).

What's more? She was the only reason to watch the show Nip/Tuck this season in which she guest starred for only two shows playing a woman who won all the money in the world but lost everything that really mattered (and there was a hilarious sex scene, to boot). The result? Her two-episode supporting role won her a spin-off that I predict will win many hearts and minds next year--along with an Emmy nod (I wrote about it here.).

P.S.: I should note that Rosie runs a very liberal-minded blog (I know, duh!) and she doesn't censor her views on celebrity madness, the war, etc. As she says, it's all about "Blog Freedom." You go, Ro.